Sorensen`s February Newsletter 2015.pub

Sorensen Magnet School
of the Arts and Humanities
Sorensen Mission Statement: Sorensen is an artistically-enriched school which empowers
students by providing an academically excellent education for every child.
Volume 3 Issue 5
February 3 , 2014
Dear Sorensen Parents & Guardians,
Safety Updates
January 28th our school completed three all school safety drills; a Fire Drill, a Shelter-in-Place Drill and a
Lockdown Drill. For the traditional Fire Drill, all students evacuate the building and stand with their back
to the building on the corners of 9th & Indiana or 9th & Coeur d’Alene. If you are a visitor in the building
during a fire drill, please evacuate the building as a model for the children. We do check that all volunteers
have cleared the building as well as the children and staff. Thank you!
During a Shelter-in-Place, teaching and learning continue within the school. Students may move from
class to class as needed. This drill is used to keep all students and staff inside the building when conditions
outside pose a threat to their health and safety. Examples: Severe weather, pending natural disaster or a
critical incident near the school. The Lockdown occurs when an intruder has been identified inside of a
building and all measures to keep students safe from harm are implemented inside the classroom. Parents
can support these safety measures by discussing with your child the importance of different kinds of drills
that we practice for safety at school.
Higher Standards on New Assessments in Idaho
It’s almost that time of year, remember the ISAT’s, last year it was the SBAC’s, this year it is the ISAT
2.0. It is very similar to the SBAC’s. The new assessments for grades 3 – 12 measure deeper knowledge
and skills deemed particularly important to students’ futures, including problem-solving, writing and critical thinking. The score provides students, parents and teachers with the ability to address any issues well
before students are ready to graduate.
Because the tests are more rigorous, we know the number of students performing at grade-level will likely
not be the same as it was in the past. However, this will simply be a new baseline of data under the new
standards. A dip should not be interpreted as a decline in student learning or educator performance. Any
time we raise academic standards, we know it takes a few years for students to reach the new goals we
have set for them. Every state will face a short-term dip in the number of students performing at grade
level while teachers and students become more familiar with the standards and better equipped to meet the
challenges they present.
Staying informed and involved:
Explore practice tests through the interactive on line platform at www.smarterbalanced.org/pilot-test/
Become familiar with the Idaho Core Standards at www.sde.idaho.gov/site/ICS/
Support the Sorensen Auction
Yes, the Sorensen Auction is coming soon! Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 21st, at the Coeur
d'Alene Resort! All Sorensen parents should have received procurement information and forms last week
to help us gather items for our largest fundraiser of the year. Smaller auction items may be dropped off at
the Sorensen office. If you have large auction items or any other questions about procurement, please contact Lori Wallin, our procurement chair, at 771-2362 or [email protected]. Tickets to the auction can
be purchased at http://sorensenpto.schoolauction.net/auction2015.
Sorensen Magnet School (208) 664-2822
310 N. 9th Street, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
Janet Ackerman, Principal, [email protected]
http://sorensen-cdasd-id.schoolloop.com/
Michelle Grebil, Office Manager, [email protected]
Lisa Thompson, Office Asst., [email protected]
Calendar
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
9
13
14
19
Win, Win, Win Raffle!!!
PTO Meeting 6:30pm at Java
No School K-12
Happy Valentine’s Day!
No School K-12 (Presidents Day)
@ the Library
Thank you, Grandparents’ Booster Club members, for your generosity to your grandchildren and
all of Sorensen’s students. Your
contributions have purchased nearly 30 new titles for
our library and the kids are thrilled! The Grandparents’ Booster Club is ongoing and one can join anytime throughout the year. Please remember when
you send in your donation to also include a picture of
yourself & grandchild together so that we can use it
on our bulletin board.
Our wonderful grandparents are:
• Chris Centers
• Steven Centers
• Donn & Doniece Dennis
• Paul & Darilyn Dircksen
• Connie Emry
• Angela Francis
• Bob & Judy Hannigan
• Treva Higgins
• Maryann Jaworski
• Terry Jordan
• Ken & Dee Dee Koep
• Jennie Lamb
• Norm & Roz Luther
• Melissa Magnuson
• John & Teresa Marquette
• Tim & Joy Matthews
• Allen & Leslie Miller
• Geri & Walt Perkins
• Tom & Alice Rakes
• Connie & Lanny Reimer
• Linda & John Ryan
• JoAnn Sanders
• Bette Sprouse
• Barbara Spyra
• Suzanne Thompson
• Ann Wallin
• Ken Young
Sorensen’s Winter Uniform Swap
Our winter swap will be on Friday, Feb.
20th from 2-4pm in the multi-purpose
room. If your children have outgrown their uniforms
please donate them before Feb. 20th so we can include them in the swap. We ask that they be free of
holes and stains. Items are $2 each.
Get your raffle ticket before they
are sold out! $40 per ticket!
Only 450 tickets sold!
•
•
•
Prize 1: $3000 Costco Gift
Card
Prize 2: $3000 Pilgrim’s Market Gift Card
Prize 3: $2000 Row Adventures Gift Card good toward anything ROW has to offer: African Safari, the Galapagos Islands, Salmon
River Rafting to name a few!
Drawing to be held at the Sorensen Auction on
March 21, 2015 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort.
To purchase auction or raffle tickets you can go to
the web page listed below:
http://sorensenpto.schoolauction.net/auction2015
Celebrate Healthy Hearts
February is National Heart Month
giving us the annual opportunity to
focus on the importance of healthy
hearts. Here are a few important tips to focus on
with your family. First, include foods which are
fiber rich such as whole grain varieties of breads,
cereals, rice and pastas as well as dried beans, fruits
and vegetables. Secondly, strive to limit saturated
fats by choosing lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Limit the amounts of fried foods by using lower fat cooking methods such as baking, broiling,
grilling, or sautéing. Additionally, limit your salt
intake through choosing less processed foods like
salty soups and snacks. District 271 elementary students will celebrate with a “Healthy Hearts” theme
meal on Thursday, February 12th. You can find
additional info on heart health through the nutrition
links on our website at www.cdaschools.org.
Boys’ & Girls’ Club
Every month the Boys’ & Girls’ club
recognizes a Youth of the Month.
Here are the student’s that were
recognized for 2014:
Madigan Wilmoth
Maximus Nelson
Paityn Harris
Tanith Boatman
Skye Boyd
Canon Allen
Helenna O’Brien
Finnegan Vitale
Jazmyn Reasor
Congratulations to all of the winners!
Uniform Committee: Parent Representative Application
Uniform Policy Guiding Principle
“Sorensen Magnet School places a high value on school climate and students success.
Our mandatory student uniform policy promotes the concepts of community, teamwork,
responsibility, pride, respect, and safety, and fosters a sense of equity in the learning environment for all students. Individual expression and the arts are important to us and our simple uniform
dress code reflects that value.”
Sorensen Magnet School’s Uniform Committee shall be comprised of one parent representative who supports the school’s uniform policy and makes decisions based on our uniform policy’s guiding principle.
This representative shall have the ability to represent all parent input. The position begins in March of the
current school year and goes until June of the following school year.
Job duties include:
•
•
•
Attending quarterly meetings
Volunteering to assist at uniform swaps (Fall & Winter)
Organizing other parent volunteers to help with the swaps
∗ Sorting clothing into sizes (2 volunteers)
∗ Displaying clothing by size the day of the sale (3-4 volunteers)
∗ Money collector (1 volunteer)
Those interested in this position should write a letter of interest to be given to Mrs. Ackerman no later
than February 13th. Committee members will meet to elect a new parent representative prior to the winter swap on Feb. 20th.
March 10th Maintenance & Operations Levy
On March 10th the Coeur d’Alene School District will ask voters to consider
approving a two-year Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Levy of $15M.
The current M&O levy expires in June 2015.
Local taxpayer support of public schools has become essential. One out of five dollars
the district spends on educating our students comes from the local levy. Levy dollars
fund the day-to-day operations of the district’s educational programs, bridging the gap
between the funding provided by the state and the cost of meeting the educational
needs of our students.
This spring’s request will include a multi-year plan to reduce class sizes and hire more
teachers. The levy request will also include purchasing curriculum materials and textbooks for students.
Want to learn more about the upcoming March 10th Maintenance & Operations levy?
Additional facts and voter information may be found on the school district’s website at
www.cdaschools.org.
PTO News
The PTO meeting on Monday, February 9th at 6:30 PM will be held at
Java on Sherman. There will be a
special presentation on the upcoming levy presented by Laura Rumpler. We hope to see you
there!
Silverwood Reading Logs
Silverwood reading logs will be coming
home this week with your student. This
program is meant to motivate your students
to read and to establish a lifelong love of reading. Students who read at least ten hours will receive a free ticket to Silverwood. All sheets are due no later than March
20th.